NATO comments on idea of ​​creating a pan-European army

09:38 • 13.11.18

NATO does not see the need for the European Union to create duplicate command structures, the secretary general of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, has said commenting on the initiative to create a pan-European army.

Speaking at a conference in Berlin, he noted that he welcomed "the efforts of Europe in the field of defense, because they enhance their capabilities and overcome fragmentation in the military-industrial complex."

“We should welcome the strengthening of the European pillar within NATO. But we should not welcome it if the EU begins to create duplicate structures, for example, command structures. The reality is that we need one strong command structure, ” RIA Novosti quotes the NATO Secretary General as saying.

Stoltenberg said he thinks that moving ahead in the field of defense in Europe, it is necessary to do this in order to strengthen transatlantic relations.

“Because non-EU allies play a central role in European security,” Stoltenberg added, according to Tellereport.com.

He also pointed out that it is impossible to imagine the defense of Europe without such countries as Turkey, Norway, Canada, the United States and Britain.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said the importance of creating a "pan-European army."

In an interview with RT France, Russian leader Vladimir Putin commented on the idea of creating such an army.

Expert Sergey Fedorov, in an interview with the FBA “Economy Today,” praised the statement by Macron.